the idea behind the book

There are a ton of books on human diet, but it was precisely this confusion over the links between food and health that led me to write 100 Million Years of Food. By covering the grand sweep of food history, 100 Million Years of Food helps us get beyond the hype of fad diets and ‘nutritionism.’ Because I was trained as a biological anthropologist, I had few preconceived notions about human diet as I worked on the book. A host of important facts about healthy eating have been brushed aside by both mainstream and alternative food writers and authorities. In the book, I discuss:

Why smart people support radically different diets

Why traditional diets from around 500 years ago are a great starting point

Why our ancestors generally avoided eating fish, fruits, and vegetables when they had other dietary options

Why vigorous exercise is often a bad idea

Why walking more and sitting less is the best thing you can do for your health

Why eating a lot of meat might be a good idea for the elderly but not the rest of us

Why insect foods are good for the environment but not a great idea as a main dish

Why allergic diseases,obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and acne are widespread throughout the industrialized world